Shin splints, I guess?

[Lorizael]

For the past several weeks I've been jogging in the morning about 3 times per week for roughly 35 minutes. Because I'm a lazy, out-of-shape slob, I'm not actually running the whole time. I run for a bit, walk, then run again. I think it's about 50/50. Anyway, at first I would stop running when I was out of breath. But after doing it for a few weeks, that's no longer the limiting factor. Now, I stop running when my shins start to hurt.

It's a soreness all down the front of my lower legs. It mostly goes away as soon as I stop running, but if I try to push past it it becomes a really unpleasant burning. Some googling says the culprit is probably shin splints and this is a thing that happens.

So, anybody dealt with this before? Have suggestions? Have their own feeble attempt to stave off premature death?

Some possibly relevant factors:

(1) I do stretch beforehand. I probably don't know what I'm doing.

(2) I have very flat feet.

(3) My shoes are not in any sense athletic shoes.

(4) I probably don't actually know how to run properly.

[rah]

Still waiting

[Lorizael]

I opened some threads, hit the new topic button, went back to reading the open threads, then somehow posted a response to another thread in this here tab. Oops. I guess I'm getting old.

[rah]

At least getting old beats the crap out of being old.

[Garth Vader]

It's probably your shoes. You don't say where you are running, but consider a softer surface. Running on concrete is the worst.

[BeBMan]

Hm, not that I have any real knowledge 'bout this. I do walk a lot to have some balance to sitting in front of computers for work - unless wheather is really bad I try to do 60 mins 5 times a week in a kind of "forced march" mode.

It's not really sports but I simply wanted to get away from sitting most of the day, and I do feel overall better and sleep better since I do this (ca. 2 yrs now).

The only thing I noticed is that shoes make really a diff - doesn't have to be super-fancy stuff (which lotsa ppl buy because of brand names), but at least something that supports your feet well. Though I never had probs with shins, just "burning" soles after long walks with bad/old shoes (which simply doesn't happen since I got new/better shoes). Dunno if better shoes impact the shins too.

[pchang]

Compression socks



#oldmantricks

[Lorizael]

It's probably your shoes. You don't say where you are running, but consider a softer surface. Running on concrete is the worst.

Yeah, I'm running on concrete.

[Dinner]

If it is a pain in your shins then it probably is shin splints. You need to stop with the jogging for a few weeks and let it heal. You should take it slow, start with walking, if it starts to hurt you are over doing it and risking reinjury so stop. Shin splints are when tendons are weak due to lack of excersize causing them to fray or even break. You don't want that so take it easy and let it heal.

You can still keep up you fitness goals by cross training. Swimming would be a good choice so if there is a community pool or if you are a member of a gym which has a pool then that is a good low impact work out which will still let your shin splints heal. When the pain goes away and healing is done take it slow for at least the next two weeks after that by walking instead of jogging. This will let your tendons build up so that when you do start jogging again you shouldn't have this happen again.

Lastly, get new running shoes from a running shop and explain how you had shin splints. Bring your old shoes with you because mechanically you are running wrong, you are supposed to land on the ball of your heel not on the front of your foot. Landing on the front of your foot causes shin splints. The good news is there are running shoes for every type and an expert can tell you the type of shoe you need to correct this problem so that your running mechanics are corrected simply by wearing those shoes. They cost a bit more but it will help you avoid injury so it is money well spent imho.

[Dinner]

Compression socks



#oldmantricks

Oh, I forgot about those. A good call.

[Lorizael]

I should stop running for now? Blargle. Not a member of a gym, but might have access to UMD's gym soon. No neighborhood pool, but there might be community pools. Will check out. Shoes, yeah.

[BlackCat]

Oerdin is rigth

I had similar when in military and was ordered to not run for almost a month and after that starting slowly again (arty, so we were driven around so it didn't matter much)

[-Jrabbit]

Yes, it sounds like shin splints. You need to stop running for awhile.

Before you get back to it, get some reasonable shoes. And stop running on concrete.

[Lorizael]

And stop running on concrete.

Not a lot of viable alternatives where I am.

[The Mad Monk]

Rooftops?